Control valve



Jan. 18, 1949. l E, E HARPER -2,459,700

\ CONTROL VALVE Filed Jung. '7, 1944 vl l \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\v`\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\v INVENTOR;

vBY

Patented Jan. 18, 1949 ooNcmoL VALVE f Elmer E. Harper, Monrovia, Calif.; Esther Pardee Harper executrixcf Elmer Ellarper, deceased Application June 7, 1944, serial No. 529,049j

2 Claims. (Cl. 251-126) This invention has reference to control or regulating appliances, in that class of devices which are responsive to control conditions and in turn are adapted vto transmit appropriate regulating action to other appliances for the purpose of modifying the operation thereof in accordance with certain given or set conditions of control.

It is therefore one important object of the invention to provide improved control means of the character stated and comprising a control element which is directly responsive to primary control conditions or actuations, and also operative as a means of transmitting appropriate regulating action to other control or regulative appliances, and with aminimum of reactive innuence tending to disturb the sensitiveness of the operation of the primary control mechanism.

As one practical form of embodiment of my invention I have devised a control arrangement and construction in which a control element is made responsive to the control conditions andis actuated thereby in such a manner as to impress a control or regulating function upon a pneumatic actuating means connected with the mechanism or devices to be controlledV and thereby correspondingly regulate the latter in response to the action of said control element.

In the actual embodiment of this formof kconstruction the control element takes the form of a valve of a peculiarly sensitive type adapted for delicate response to the primary control means, and by such response modifying the vacuum action developed in the air connections to the pneumatic operating means already referred to and thus accomplishing the desired regulating function.

Incidentally it is also an object of my invention to provide a novel control valve of the improved delicately sensitive character referred to, and peculiarly well adapted to fulfill requirements where a minimum of mechanical operativeeffort is essential for transmitting the control action.

With the foregoing general objects in vievv, I will now describe the construction and operation of my invention by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating one practical form of embodiment of the same, after Whichthosefeatures and combinations deemedto constitute patentable subject matter will be particularly set forth and claimed. e

In the drawing- Figure l is a sectional elevation illustratingy one form of control apparatusl embodying the operative features and including the novel control appliance of the present invention;

.Figure 2 is a plan View of said appliance, on a larger scale;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the same, and illustrating the appliance in the same operative relationship as shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a similar sectional elevation oi said control appliance or valve, arranged in a different operative relationship.

Prevailing types oi regulating mechanism of the type to which the present Vinvention is most directlyrelated include some form or other ci control linkage or transmission lmeans for transmitting the regulating function, and the principal fault to be found with such apparatus is the disproportionate amount of mechanical eiort requiredfor the operation of such linkage for transmitting the regulating function, because this necessarily restricts the freedom of` operation of the control element and its connections, and hence to the same degree adversely affecting the sensitivity of the control function. The purpose of my present improvements, therefore, is to provide a control structure making use of la control element which will be sufficiently delicate in its operation to satisfyy all the requirements of the control function While at the same time requiring a minimum of mechanical effortfor its operation Whereby the sensitivity of thev control mechanism is not appreciably affected.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, I have selected, as an example of an appropriate embodiment of the improved control structure, certain parts of an kautomatic measuring mechanism, suchas apparatus for feeding lpredetermined quantities of certain materials for a given purpose, as required, for example, in the adding of chemical materials to water in Water purification systems. One type of such apparatus is illustrated more fully in my application Serial No. 535,975, filed May 17, 1944. The parts of the apparatus herein illustrated `comprise a balanced control beam I0 which is subjected to unbalancing means at al predetermined and controlled rate-as`,'for example, by beingsubjected to unbalan'cing impulses atv such predetermined rate, which-impulses are simultaneously transmitted to the weighing beam l2 of a scales mechanism supporting (as by connections i4) a receptacle I5 containing the material to be measured and dispensed'by feeding means, such as a discharge valve Iii-' -all as more fully described in my aforesaid copending application. f e "One endof the control beam IU is illustrated as provided with a suitable connectiony I8Y t 'an arm 20 of a rocker valve of thin metal orthe'lik'e';

opening 24'; and to help counterbalance the armi 20 a small mass of weight material 30 (e. g. solleijlv ,.7

may be applied to the opposite side of said body portion 22 with relation to saidl arm,therebypromoting efcient valve-closingt action on lowering of the connection I8 in responseto the control operation of the beam I0. The arm 20 of the valve is shown as resting on a nut 32 whichis r` adjustably mounted on vsaid link connection I8, although a reverse arrangement of said valve and nut may be employed, as hereinafter explained. The air,y choke or vent tube` 26 communicated with an air eduotor deviee `34.1 included; as part of a water feed' line. 35.; andf said tube Ziffurtherl communicates with a flexible. tube orhose' .36 which.l connects with. a Sylphon. type of bellows device 38 having an operatifve connection- 40 with the valve` 11.6; The bellows device 3,8 maybe. supportedZ byy means of a bracket or the likev 4.4' ate-Y tached. to the receptacle. l5.; andfbetween this bracket and an adjustable, nut 45 On'theoperatf ing'oonnection 40 is mounted a. coil spring 48. for the purpose of maintaining thelvalve i6 normally in closedE position (as regards any discharge. of' materialfrom the receptacle lI). This is the relationship corresponding to such a position of the control connections as will allowr no morethan a negligible or inoperative vacuum to be produced or maintained inthe tube- 26 and` they bellowsfdevioe 38. l

`'lheoperative connect-ion between the valve v2i! and; the control member llfissuch that movements of the latter will raise onlower the arm-20 and thereby rock the valve into diieren-t-ly tilted positions upon the orifice element 24; thus vary-4 ingHi the opening and closingaction of thevalve for correspondingly varying the vent action through` said orifice and the choke tube 2li. In other wordt.. when, .the Control beamv i0 is depressed.. its. connection. to the valve. 2?5 allows. Said valve to. settle. into a more. nearly .horizontal orvalve-o1. eine. position, and to. that. extent Quotes the @inventing action thiiougheaidtnee 26.., which results more beine Withdrawn from .the 'tute 36. and. bellows. deviee. 3.8. and time produees' openingmovemeot of the valve ...I.,. which the illustrated type Qi; epparatoeis. the. oiiaraoterof Qontrol o1' regulating .oet nldesjieneti te. .follow es a result of. the iiuotiietios mo e. merits of' the. Control. member L0- Qo. tbe et el: hand.. irl. .the oase oi liitine vmovements, of. Seid eooiitol member. Whieh, will obviously th ofthe. valve and thereby rook itirito. wicier.- position, with .relation tothe oriiee 2.4, .l result. e. freer air venting: action.. So .that the' air new through the tube ze. is correspondingly inereased and less. air Willhewitiidrewn from the tube 3.6.I and bellows. devite. 3.a, representing there?. f

fore e. diminishing Vaeoiioi. aetioo, .and .con

from said Afulpruni point of the valve.

With the present imporved type of valve 22 and the valve-supporting seat therefor, it will be observed that in all positions of the valve (with the exception of its strictly horizontal position, representing the -completely closed state of the valve), it maintains a substantially tangential contact with only one side of the vent orice, o1' a single point of the sharp edge or rim defining said orifice; opening 24.". :YI-lende"the/operative, or opening or closing, action ofthe valve takes place as a rocking movement of the valve about said edge point of the orice as a fulcrum, as the arm ot-thevalve is lifted or lowered by the connection i8 to the control member l 0. In such action the valve executes a hingelike movement, which opens orf closes'the orice at the opposite side Having a oating support upon the orce structure, the

point 'ot fulcrum suDDQrt may shift laterally to som-e extent while still maintaining a single point of; f-ulcrum action with. reference to said` edge of thenoriiiesandi duetov such ,typel .ofg hingelike movementand the thin edge form ofsupport forthe valve, its .-.operative movements 4are executed by means: of a minimum'amountofv mechanical effort. transmitted. from the. control. member- 1 t0, as com-pared.. with-that required.. for aseecting movement vofI a valve bodily intoandfout'of coinplete engagement withy its valve. seatporiopening. Y Moreover it. will. be noted:l that vbyf.l means of the improved type.' ofV valve, "the opportunity'for friction is also. reduced to -a minimum, 'and that its `oper-sation' isl'much less likely to bev interfered with by'stickingor the like. 'n i Y.

Referring'to the connection between thelink i8 and arm 20- othe Valveyit lmay beexplained` that saidflink has free sliding-inovement through the open-ingl IQ efesai'd arm, so Athat on lowering o the valveV into horizontal or completely closed position over` the orioe 24,- any further downward movement 'ofthe Acontrol member lfb will e'iiec't mere "sliding movementl of the; link through said opening, l 3,.. without. ont" iertiier ettioo i on. the valve. uotiltheiatm Die aeaioeiieaeedlby'thenot 32 in. response.v .to the reverse.o1 toward." mover ment of saidooritrolniemhen. f

Figure .4 merely illustrates' en, alternative er# rangement, of the parte which the. tonne tiel.l

. between. inc control vtoeinheit and the Velve'fis mooied for the ouroose'oi reversing. the operar tive aetioo of, the'valveio response to the control moverte.ett..` i e to impart. operi .ne movemeetsio the. valve. response' to loweiiiieoioveoients .oi

T thetoritrol member,.- and. viceversa vvto..-iliimert closing 'movements to the valve in response. to@ the. reverse movements. oi seidt control membei" It'orthis Purpose theinit lt2. is mounted. oo the link L8. above. the. erm" 2.0 'ofthe.v.'-.'.i1ve.,Y with the. latter. arranged reveisellv tilted petition o et. theoilioe 2.4-, as ooinpeiecliwith theorie seinen-t illustrated Figure l, White relatie ie-.obe4 vioue that oeerativeiaovem .t the` eeiietel Perzisvtlltekeelaeem theme..- d the nuteoeasiog animieren A ments. to Ithe valve 22 itt-the .dew-nw.

saidcootioliiiinteood the .ink itt eine.

ing freely through the openingnliggfof the val-vev` arm in case of any further upw dA 'Stentially- As a guard against any casual displacement of the Valve from its operative position over the orifice structure 24, an adjustable stop element may be provided in the form of a screw 50 mounted in a bracket 52 adjacent to the orifice structure, with the tip of said screw in closely overhanging relation above the body portion 22 of the valve, but at a sufficient distance therefrom for permitting all normal operative movements of the valve.

It will therefore be seen that I have devised a practical and efficient type of control device and connections therefor, for fuliilling all the desired objects of my invention; and while I have shown and described both practical and satisfactory forms of construction and arrangement I desire to be understood as expressly reserving the right to such changes or modiiications as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A valve construction comprising, a valve seat having a thin edge defining an upwardly facing valve orifice, a rocking valve having operative oating movement over said orifice and formed with a at body portion provided with depending counterweight means operative to maintain said body portion in fulcruming engagement with said thin edge at one side of the orifice, and an operating arm forming a rigid extension from said body portion and projecting therefrom along a line substantially below the level of said orice.

-in hoodlike relation over said orifice and in ful-` cruming engagement with said thin edge at one side ofthe orifice, one side of said body having a rigid'` extension forming an operating arm projectingalong a line substantially below the level of said'criiice.

ELMER E. HARPER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 649,641 Kummer May 15, 1900 869,323 Nolan Oct. 29, 1907 1,083,467 Sloan Jan. 6, 1914 1,768,487 Remington June 24, 1930 1,834,368 Arbuckle Dec. 1, 1931 1,907,976 Jones May 9, 1933 1,909,469 Hubbard May 16, 1933 1,910,237 Cadwell May 23, 1933 1,987,666 Carlson Jan. 15, 1935 2,347,196 Hulman Apr. 25, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 8,262 Great Britain 1891 

